Saturday, January 24, 2009

Some of us are nervous when we write to you because you, more than anyone, embrace the First Amendment by publishing our every thoughts. This time, however, I’d be happy if you sent everyone to pay a visit to http://www.sunshinechronicles.wordpress.com so they can see what I’m up to.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Well, a funny thing happened last night. Someone sent me a message asking about the youtube video I posted of Cathy Nicholls Coyle on the Dating Game as they were doing a radio spoof on it. Come to find out, the radio station was right here in Sonoma where I live - small world! So today after work, I went over there and Cathy called in and we had a fun time talking about the adventure of going on the Dating Game. Thanks Cathy, you did great!!! Maybe next week Ron Panich or anyone else who was on the Dating Game would like to call in to the radio show??

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And here's an email from Kent Barcus - thanks for the walk down memory lane!

OLDER THAN DIRT

Someone asked the other day, 'What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?''We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,' I informed him. 'All the food was slow.'

'C'mon, seriously. Where did you eat?'

'It was a place called 'at home,' I explained. 'Mom cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.'

By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table. But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it:

Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore Levis, set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country or had a credit card. In their later years they had something called a revolving charge card. The card was good only at Sears Roebuck. Or maybe it was Sears & Roebuck. Either way, there is no Roebuck anymore. Maybe he died.

My parents never drove me to soccer practice. This was mostly because we never had heard of soccer. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow). We didn't have a television in our house until I was 5. It was, of course, black and white,

I was 13 before I tasted my first pizza, it was called 'pizza pie.' When I bit into it, I burned the roof of my mouth and the cheese slid off, swung down, plastered itself against my chin and burned that, too. It's still the best pizza I ever had.

We didn't have a car until I was 4. It was an old black Dodge.

I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone in the house was in the living room and it was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line.

Pizzas were not delivered to our home. But milk was.

All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers my brother delivered a newspaper, six days a week. It cost 7 cents a paper,of which he got to keep 2 cents. He had to get up at 6AM every morning. On Saturday, he had to collect the 42 cents from his customers. His favorite customers were the ones who gave him 50 cents and told him to keep the change. His least favorite customers were the ones who seemed to never be home on collection day.

Movie stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the movies. Touching someone else's tongue with yours was called French kissing and they didn't do that in movies. I don't know what they did in French movies. French movies were dirty and we weren't allowed to see them.

If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don't blame me if they bust a gut laughing.

Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?

MEMORIES from a friend:My Dad is cleaning out my grandmother's house (she died in December) and he brought me an old Royal Crown Cola bottle. In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it. I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea. She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. I knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to 'sprinkle' clothes with water because we didn't have steam irons. Man, I am old.

How many do you remember?

Head lights dimmer switches on the floor.Ignition switches on the dashboard.Heaters mounted on the inside of the fire wall.Real ice boxes.Pant leg clips for bicycles without chain guards.Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner.Using hand signals for cars without turn signals.

Older Than Dirt Quiz:Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told aboutRatings at the bottom.1. Blackjack chewing gum2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water3. Candy cigarettes4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles5. Coffee shops or diners with tableside juke boxes6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers7. Party lines8. Newsreels before the movie9. P.F. Flyers10. Butch wax11. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning. (there were only 3 channels)12. Peashooters13. Howdy Doody14. 45 RPM records15. S& H greenstamps16. Hi-fi's17. Metal ice trays with lever18. Mimeograph paper19. Blue flashbulb20. Packards21. Roller skate keys22. Cork popguns23. Drive-ins24. Studebakers25. Wash tub wringers

Thanks Cathy Nicholls Coyle for the photos of Don Ray's January 20th party. Looks like ya'll had a fun time celebrating his coming of age... old age that is - lol!! Okay, 60 is not old, so says my eleven year old granddaughter.

I went to Don Ray's 60th Birthday party last night. It was held in the old Montrose Bowl. It is such a quaint little area and the Bowling Alley was a great place to hold a party! When we came in we were given name tags with numbers on them. The numbers corresponded with a sheet that held a list of professions, hobbies, relationships, and accomplishments. It was a great way to start a conversation with the other guests. Don said it was "his gift; to share his friends with us." My numbers said that I was a "Burbank High School graduate;" a "Former Burbank employee;" a "Twin;" a "Dog person;" and a "Photographer." All of us wanted to add "Hardest worker alive" to our name tags!

Nancy, Don's sister, was great! She was busy tending to the organization of the food and birthday cake yet still had time to visit with each of us.

Nancy (Ray) Revlin, BHS '65 and Don

I enjoyed talking to Xiao Mei, Don's wife. She is a real gem!

I met Joe Veraldi, BHS '69, an old Bowling buddy of Don's, and his sister, Camille, BHS '61.

There were many others that were interesting to talk to too! One of the descriptions said "Appeared in Elvis movie"It was former BHS teacher, Chuck Campbell! Good food, Good fun, Good friends! The time just flew by!

Michael Kubelka is my father. He passed away from throat and lung cancer on 02/21/2006 at his childhood home in Burbank. My father was very proud of his military service during the Vietnam war. He served in the 101st Airborne Division as a medic. After his service, he returned home to Burbank and worked as a finishing carpenter. He married my mother, Jackie, and had one child (me - Michael Derek Kubelka) in 1976. My mother and father were only married for a few years, but remained close friends until his death. My father never remarried. When my father was diagnosed with cancer in December 2005 my mother insited that she take care of him, which she did, until he passed away on February 21, 2006. My father has two grandchildren, ages 3 and 1. Unfortunately, he never had a chance to meet the youngest. He was only around for the first 4 months of the oldests life. Nevertheless, he was extremely proud to be a Grandpa! My father was a good and honest man. He had his fair share of flaws, but he always put friends and family first. He was known as "everyone's dad" because he always seemed to be giving fatherly advise to all of my friends when I was growing up. He is missed a great deal by all of those that knew him.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The BHS Class of ’64 will be holding its 45th Reunion on Saturday, October 10, 2009.

The location of the event: The Burbank Elks Club2232 North Hollywood WayBurbank , CA 9150

The time: 6:00 PM-12 AM…”Surf’s Up” is the theme and it will be Luau Casual Attire (Shirts and Shoes Required)

Cost: $75 per person or $140 per couple (Memory Book included with ticket)

If you require Hotel accommodations, the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel is 3 blocks from the Elks Club. Call the hotel direct at their Burbank number (818) 843-6000 for reservations and mention the BHS Class of ’64 Reunion .

If you have recently re-located and feel the Reunion Committee may not have your current address, please contact:Pam Zipfel Kirkwood at pamkirkwood@yahoo.comOrTammy Stepanow Klinger at rodeogal4@yahoo.com

We will be mailing out invitations in early February. We have limited occupancy at the Elks Club, so invitations are for the Class of ’64 first, then we will open invitations to other BHS graduating classes by June 1, 2009.

We want this reunion to be our BIGGEST and BEST BULLDOG ’64 GATHERING EVER!!!

Celebrate my very special day with me...Mark your calendar: January 20, 2009. 6 p.m. till 10 p.m. Dig out your old bowling ball and shoes. You're invited to a bowling party!

It's a celebration in three-part harmony.Verse One: The end of a memorable era in the United States and around the world. George W. Bush will begin his rest-of-life position as a former president.Verse Two: Barack Obama takes the wheel of a bus that's nearly veering off the road.Chorus: I wonder what tomorrow will bring.Verse Three: Don Ray turns 60 years old -- but still refuses to grow up.

Hence, a birthday party at a bowling alley. Not just any bowling alley, though. In the 1960s, Don Ray made regular trips to this place, Montrose Bowl, as a member of Marlindo Bowl's Junior Traveling League. It was on these lanes that the Montrose Bowl team sandbagged three games against Marlindo's rival team and yanked the well-deserved trophy from our hands.

But nobody's keeping score this time! You don't have to keep score. You don't even have to bowl -- just show up to meet some of the most interesting people you'll ever encounter. If you're already Don Ray's friend, you're one of those people.

The party is open to you and your family. Send me an e-mail or call me to RSVP. I need to know how much cheap food to bring. The Montrose Bowl folks demand that they have exclusive rights to all things liquid, so DBYOB (Don't bring your own beverages) please.

For more information about Montrose Bowl, go to http://montrosepartybowl.com.Simple directions: From the I-5, go north on the 2 Freeway and stay in the right lanes as you approach the 210 Freeway. Before the 210 East (Pasadena) exit, jump off at the Verdugo Blvd. exit. Turn left onto Verdugo. It becomes Honolulu. Drive a few blocks and you'll see the place on the left.From the North San Fernando Valley and points north, take the I-5 or the 118 Freeway to the 210 East. Exit at Ocean View and turn right. About three signals down the hill, turn right on Honolulu and you'll see the place on the left.From Pasadena and points East, find your way to the 210 Freeway West and get off at Ocean View. Turn left. About 3 or 4 signals down the hill, turn right on Honolulu and you'll see Montrose Bowl on the left.

There's public parking a block or two to the west of Montrose Bowl.If you don't want to take a chance on the cheap food I may provide, there are a lot of cool restaurants just steps away from the landmark lanes.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Greetings Loopers...The BHS Class of '64 Reunion Committee has once again been "re-activated" and is busy planning and organizing our 45th Reunion, to be held on Saturday, October 10th 2009. Actually, out of 622 graduates in our class, we have found quite a few. We have approximately 175 still missing (and after our first mailing, we may get some returned whose addresses are no longer valid, so that number could increase) Ironically at this moment, our class of 1964 knows of 64 classmates who have passed on. We truly NEED your help. Even if you are not part of BHS '64, please take a minute and review the following Missing List...

If you have any information on any of these people, even if it is an address or phone or email for a sibling, please forward that information to either Tammy Stepanow Klinger at rodeogal4@yahoo.com or me, Pam Zipfel Kirkwood at pamkirkwood@yahoo.com.

There are only 7 of us on the committee, so if we all put our collective 500 plus heads together, we should be able to locate lots more classmates... Thanks so much...

Monday, January 12, 2009

Thanks so much for all the time and effort you put into your fabulous BHS blog. I check in regularly to see what’s going on with everyone. Never imagined way back when…… that there’d be something like the internet to change everything and make all these contacts possible. I’d also like to thank Linda Mustion for graciously keeping us informed about those we’ve lost along the way, and a special thanks to Linda for her work with the Grandview Cemetery.

As far as what has been going on in my life for the past four decades? I can sum it up with a saying I found in the newspaper years ago: “I’ve seen it all, and if I haven’t, I won’t be surprised when I do.” But it’s been a great life, wouldn’t change a thing, and I’m so glad I’m still kickin’. Lived in Colorado on a couple of different occasions, and Arkansas, and Missouri. Tim and I returned to Ventura county in 2000 and hope to just stay put if we can. Both my daughters, Nicole and Jenny, and their families live in this area. We have five grandsons, and a new granddaughter on the way (Nicole is due to deliver in March).

You had asked for holiday pics, so thought I’d send a couple of them your way. I’ve only had a digital camera for about a year now, and don’t know how I ever lived without it:

The first pic is our long-awaited “reunion” of the wonderful family I’ve been blessed with. Finally got just about everybody at our house at the same time this past Thanksgiving. Whew! We used the timer on the digital, all crammed in together, and hoped for the best. It turned out pretty good, considering the guesswork involved.

The second pic is of Tim and me at a Christmas party at the BJs in Oxnard last month.

I always look forward to your monthly newsletter and hearing from all the BHS alumni and what’s going on in their lives. Truly amazing we have the means to keep in touch after all these years. Please keep up the good work! It’s greatly appreciated!

If you want to march in the parade with the Alumni Drill Team, email Linda Lee atLnJhn9@aol.com

Good Sunday afternoon Alumni Drill Team..........according to the City of Burbank Calendar on their web site....the Burbank On Parade will be Saturday April 25th, 2009........so mark you calendars......1234, 5678....1234, 5678...remember?........ Of course we will have a practice and be sure an contact any Burroughs grads you know who may also want to be a part of our team.......

I am amazed at your computer skills. To set up this whole web site and all this information is wonderful. You have such a kind heart.

I've been looking through the web page and am so excited to see so many of our Bulldog friends. I thought only I was getting old! That is why I haven't been too active in the reunions. I guess I was afraid that everyone else would look so great and young, thin, and like in High School! Stupid, HUH!!! I would like to be more involved. It looks like so much fun you are having!

Well, I live in Oxnard, Ca. We live by the beach and I love it! It's always cool here, and I love walking on the beach looking for sea glass. My hobbies are varied, I like painting,raising birds, growing Orchids, my aquarium, sewing, RV'ing around the country with my husband George, being with my 2 grand kids, and having fun times with them. I have 3 children. I actually went into Fashion Design for a while, then went into Education of Elementary School. Always seemed to steer to Special Education. Did that, then retired, and here I am!

So I would love to talk with you. Weekends are fine. I'm retired so whenever you have a spare minute, Call me!!! It was nice visiting with you. Call me whenever you get the time.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Looks like ya'll had a blast on your birthday, Chris. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Cathy and fellow Bulldogs,

What a surprise I had yesterday when I returned from Mammoth Mountain to see my mug pasted into the blogspot! Over 33 years ago while sitting behind numerous bottles of beer in the halfway house (McCoy Lodge, Mammoth Mtn) at the bottom of chair 3 I stood up and boastfully invited the whole cafeteria to my 60th birthday party to be held right there in January of 2009! For the most part everyone ignored me but I have held on to that challenge for all these years and fortunately I was able to attend my own party.

Four years ago my wife and I made it to Mammoth for a weekend of skiing buy I didn't perform so well. I was exhausted around 1:30 in the afternoon and wanted off the snow. My lifestyle of eating sweets and lack of exercise had finally caught up with me although I wasn't willing to admit it. Six years earlier than that I had made the commitment to eliminate alcohol consumption but made some diet choices that weren't good substitutes and it was catchingup with me.

So, long story short, my wife stood by me and designed a diet for me. Of course this included exercise on a regular basis so I took up road bicycling (Shari Deuel Nichols is my idol) and soon lost almost 30 pounds. My cholesterol, triglycerides, and all that other medical mumbo-jumbo are in the extremely healthy levels and my doctor calls me the poster-boy for lifestyle change. So here is the point of my post. I made it to the party but it took some work. Two days ago while skiing at Mammoth, and celebrating my 60th milestone I felt great. Those hours on the bike,in the gym and making the meal choices were the right prescription for a lifestyle turn-around.

Thanks Mrs. Peterson for the support and to those friends that didn't make the party....you missed a good one! Yes we can turn back the clock! Thanks for the recognition on the blog page Cathy....keep up the great work.

Cheers to you all,Jay "Chris" Peterson

1/11/09 UPDATEThought you would enjoy this '67 Ceralbus photo I scanned this morning!

Received this email from Kent Barcus this morning. Thanks Kent for your interesting observations of 'being over thirty for over thiry years'!

Hi Cathy. Hope you're doing well in this new year.

Dealing with the compulsion to write something else without a picture or name to it other than:

Class of '67 Reaching The Point of Being Over Thirty for Over Thirty Years.

So it's time for a milestone and pulling the car over to the side of the road you read another number ending in zero for the sixth time in your life, presuming you still drive. Or just ask Chris Peterson for a ride since he's been there by now anyway.

And if looks concern you (they shouldn't) be content to know that you each and all look fine if not exceptionally fine indeed, but not even that really matters. We all seem to have some quantity of skin, hair, and teeth remaining. And if you have any health at all be grateful for that.

Money? Oh, they still use that stuff although it doesn't seem to last quite like it did twenty or forty years ago. In fact it seems to have taken on a strange disappearing feature lately. Yet it won't buy you love, nor will excessive quantities of it rent you the sort of attention you really need in life.

Ideally you have contributed to the benefit of others and may still do so even if you don't recognize it or receive any direct acknowledgment of it. But someone has noticed or will recall someday. And may you know the fullest measure of grace, mercy, and peace.

--- end ---

And below is a photo I scanned from the '67 Ceralbus (pgs 18 & 19) which you may enjoy!

Hi Cathy,Happy New Year. Hope all is well with you. As you know, Donna (Luce) Nietman is down from Spokane visiting her daughter, Carol and her family for a few days. Today, Donna and Cathy Coyle came to Northridge to have lunch with me. We had a fun visit over salads at Stone Fire Grill near my work. I have attached a copy of a picture we took after lunch. I reluctantly went back to work after a couple of hours, while the girls drove a couple blocks to the mall.We are hoping to get together again next week, before Donna goes back to the NW!

BTW...I have ejoyed your newsletters a bunch! Take care and God Bless you!

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Cathy and John Coyle will be celebrating FORTY years of marriage on January 18 - WOW! That is so wonderful and Cathy sent a few photos for us to all enjoy. Congratulations and thanks for the pics, John and Cathy!

Hey CP:

Just read the latest post on your blog. John and I will be celebrating our "40th" Anniversary!

As for me... I couldn't have spent the last 40 years with a better guy!!!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Blyden Loutensock '70 and Alan Landros '70Pam and Jon Kirkwood send out a wonderful monthly email (The Loop) with news from BHS alumni - mostly from their class of '64 but anyone can receive it. Just drop Pam an email: pamkirkwood@yahoo.com

And below are a few items I gleaned today from THE LOOP...

Blyden (son of Coach Loutensock) sent this photo taken the day Alan came home from the hospital (10/2/08), one week after his kidney transplant, thanks to Blyden. Please keep praying for both these men as they continue to heal up!

Cathy Nicholls Coyle and John Coyle ’65 will celebrate their anniversary on Jan.18th - CONGRATULATIONS! How many years?

Don Ray (Jan 20), Denny Lombard (Jan 22) and Shari Deuel (Jan 30) are all celebrating birthdays this month... the Senstional SIXTY! "Put another candle on my birthday cake..." as Sheriff John used to sing.

Retiring this month on January 29 is Joanie Nobile Ortega ...Hubby Freddie '65 says they plan to leisurely tour the US and Canada in their motorhome - what a great idea!

And finally, Pam and Jon are "fairly certain" that the date for the Annual BHS/JBHS ALUMNI Picnic will be Saturday, June 27th. And for those who can, the Class of '67 are wanting to meetup again in 2009 the same weekend of this picnic.

JAN 8, 2009 NEWS UPDATE:Hi Cathy and Joyce...Just heard from our chairperson for the Annual BHS/JBHS Picnic (Linda Damarjian)...She was contacted by the Loopland (Burbank) Park and Rec Dept. and the Picnic is NOW officially June 20th...(Saturday)...More to follow...Pam